Adele Design

'COOL YULE'

2011-12-03T14:56:00.008Z

I have designed some new Winter Badges which I will be selling at the 'Cool Yule' Market. Here are a couple of the designs for you to preview.

Nothing to do Sunday?

Fancy a drive to an event near the Suffolk Coast?

Why not come along to the Festive Market at Snape Maltings.

It would be great to see you there. I will have a stall with all my Adele Design goodies and gifts. Some great Winter badges along with my new 'Acorn and leaf' and 'Word Bird' designs.

See you soon.

Adele

THE WEEKEND

2010-06-16T09:42:00.007+01:00

We had a great weekend at the Woodbridge Vintage and Modern Market.

This is how we set out the stall this time and in the picture you can see my daughter Emma who is a great help and supporter of my work.

I think we sold something from just about every design and had some really positive feedback.

An early view of the Market outside. There were also some excellent food stalls.

Before the customers arrived I managed to have a quick look round and see my friend with her Beach Bygones stall, I always managed to find some interesting bits and pieces to add to my collections.

Recently I was having a read of Beach Bygones blog and spotted this lovely blue shell in one of her pics. I've been collecting china shells for a couple of years now and already had one similar to this in brown and pink. So she agreed to let me have it and put it aside to collect at the Market.

And there it is, I'm really pleased with it. It's such a lovely shape from any angle. That's one of the nice things about blogging and Markets, you can meet like minded people and there is always a friendly face to talk to.

I couldn't resist these little photos. They reveal such a rich Social History and look at the fashion. I particularly like this one because my daughter was telling us how she would like to play the Accordion.

I was immediately attracted to this book and as I flicked through I realised it was quite special with these beautiful pencil drawings.

There is a stamp on the front 'St.Osyth's training College'. Beach Bygones and I both agreed that it needed a bit of research to find out what it was used for. The story is a real education with everything from how to wash a jumper, highlight your hair, bake and the politically incorrect reference to how the Mum is very fat. But this is balanced out by the fact that when everyone goes out she has a cup of tea and biscuit anyway with a huge grin on her face.

The Evans family are always willing to learn new skills and have a go themselves.

And here is what else was happening at the weekend. On Sunday Emma went with her Dad to the Bentwaters first Air Show. This is on the opposite side of the road to Rendlesham where we live. They had a fantastic time, there were some amazing planes and displays. Emma has more pics on her Sweetthings blog.

There are people actually strapped to these planes, all in the name of entertainment. I admire their bravery.

So I will say farewell for now as we watch the planes disappear into the distance.

WINDMILLS

2010-06-07T10:07:00.006+01:00

The Windmills are out at last.

That's what I like to call these lovely little flowers that decorate our garden wall every year.

We actually thought we were buying a Montana Rubens Clematis but when these flowers appeared we didn't feel dissapointed. It's a Montana Wilsonii and highly scented.

In the evening the flowers shine out like little lights.

I love Windmills and that peaceful, homely feeling they bring. The little flowers in my garden reminded me of a Windmill straight away so I though I would put together a few photos for you.

My Windmills and boats plate is by Royal Winton, Grimwades, Made in England and such a nostalgic combination with a pebble pattern running through. I think I bought it at the Woodbridge Antique Fair, it was only a pound. I particularly like the colour combination.

I also have a few postcards from Holland in my collection. They show beautiful costumes and a Social History.

Lace, cards and the little Windmill flower, such a gentle combination of pretty colours.

I bought this jug from Wickham Market in the Antique shop. It has England stamped underneath. The flowers remind me of work by the designer Alice Natter a member of the Atelier Martine in 1910's and 1920's. I'll do a post about her next time.

An idea for a card with my Windmills.

A little bunch in my Sylvac vase bought from the Antique Shop and Needham Market.

And now for some exciting news.

I am now a member of the ukhandmade team.

Over the year I will be contributing to the online magazine and writing a Diary about our move as a family from town to country.

I have also been invited to join the Lifestyle Blog team and will be writing about our backgarden veg plot tales.

So come and take a look. It's a great site for people with a passion for the Handmade Revolution. There are interesting people to meet from around the country, you can even join groups from your area. You will also be kept up to date with news and events.

Click on this link www.ukhandmade.co.uk and come and read the magazine, you will also be able to access past issues. Each issue is packed with artists, advice, ideas and recipes.

I will also be taking part in this two day Mega Market. So come along and introduce yourselves, it's always great to meet fellow bloggers. Take a look at my Adele Design products where you will find badges and cards with my new designs.

This is a fantastic lively Market for everyone if you are in the Woodbridge area don't miss out.

Here's the link for you www.debenevents.com

Adele

PAPER CONSIDERATIONS PART THREE

2010-04-10T19:48:00.004+01:00

Hello everyone, hope you have all had a happy sunny Saturday. I have just posted 'Paper Considerations Part Three' on my Ha-Pea Handmade blog so why not come and take a look at the complete story.

Adele

NEW DESIGNS

2010-03-27T18:05:00.006Z

Finally! It's taken a while to actually find the time to sit down and make a new post and it's great to be back. I have been working on some new ideas and thought of you all - my blog friends - whose opinions about these designs I would fully appreciate and value as part of my research.

Here is the first.

'Candy Stripes and Ice Cream Raspberry Ripple by The Sea'

A little idea that floated around in my thoughts as I strolled past the Ice Cream shop in Aldeburgh.

I love experimenting with lettering and playing around with scale until something interesting turns up.

Years ago, having worked in Graphics, before the age of the computer where every single letter and variation was drawn and redrawn by hand, the fact that I can move these letters around on the screen, reshaping, resizing and colouring in seconds is still, to me, a miracle and always will be. It means I can have fun and concentrate on a pattern.

This little design is being printed for me as a small card by dstudio onto their recycled card. I also have a badge design to go with it at a later date.

The tumbling sharpeners.

The sharpener drawing is one which I drew for my Paper Dress which you can read about over on my other Blog ha-pea handmade. The idea behind this is to have it printed onto a card which can then be coloured with some space to draw more sharpeners. I've added some text so as to hint at the idea. There is also a matching badge which is being printed by Big Dog Badges.

Perhaps these would be good for party bags.

The typeface bird. An idea I have had in my mind for a while now. I hoped to paint this with watercolour but it didn't quite work out, I think I just need more practice. I did manage to use the pencil in photoshop and draw some of the features to add a bit of character. I am going to work on this idea and make the centre of the bird resemble a ball of string by taking a photo of my crocheted shredded paper and string which might be fun. At the moment this design is being produced as a card.

I love this repeat pattern which is also taken from my Paper Dress drawing. This is also a small card with a couple of badges to make a set. I am hoping this will appeal to anyone who loves design and something a bit different.

I found a heart. I put a post on ukhandmade about this. It's from one of my photos of an old fashioned bin that I put into photoshop and while I was trying out colours a heart appeared. It was in fact and quite unromantically the black bin liner. For this card I also attempted to draw some flowers in photoshop to add a bit of interest and them some words. I felt that adding the words made the whole idea more people friendly, there is something gentle about it like a passing unexpected smile when out walking.

Well I hope you've enjoyed having a browse through my latest designs for Adele Design.

If you have the time it would be great to have your opinions and maybe thoughts about what you would like to see the designs made up into.

THANKS

Adele

PAPER CONSIDERATIONS PART TWO

2010-03-06T19:47:00.003Z

Hi everyone

Well - the sun has been shining and the sky has been blue and I have felt inspired to put Part Two of my Paper Considerations post over on my other Ha-Pea-Handmade blog. So if you haven't already taken a look feel free to click here and read all about my Paper Dress.

Adele

HA-PEA HANDMADE

2010-02-08T17:08:00.003Z

A quick note to let you all know I have created another blog called Ha-Pea Handmade as an outlet for sharing my handmade designs, inspirations and stories. I have also set this up in conjuction with joining ukhandmade. So come and take a look and you can read part one of my Paper Dress story.

Adele

MERRY WINTER

2010-01-04T18:03:00.014Z

Merry Winter everyone. Aren't the knits and patterns just great this winter? You only have to look at them and feel cosy and warm. I have had the photo above for well over thirty years now and have always treasured it. Luckily it was rescued from a wool shop in Rayleigh which was closing down, as far as I know it was going to be thrown away. We believe the lady working away in the photo may have been the owner of the shop. Judging by the fashion it could be the 40's, what do you think? I can imagine that the knitting growing out of the machinery could be a dress with a lovely soft knitted waist band.

I find something really comforting about colour and pattern, especially this time of year and I especially love Fair Isle. I thought I would show you my new Joules mittens and scarf. The mittens are lined and the scarf is double sided and long, at last, something to keep me warm.

I couldn't believe it when I saw this beautiful jumper, it just takes me right back to the 70's with it's 3/4 length wide sleeves, wide neck, lovely patterns and just to top it off a knitted belt. This is the sort of thing I would have worn with a long Tweed skirt, woolly tights and warm boots and possibly with another thin polo underneath. So yes, as you may have guessed I bought one in the Laura Ashley mega sale and will keep it forever.

This wintry scene is brought to you from the top floor of my house looking towards the Pylons which march quite majestically through Campsea Ashe and Wickham Market. We were quite snowed in, cut off at one point but the views were amazing.

Brussel above is our Snowgirl this year, made by a frozen Emma. It's just fascinating how personal Snow people can be. Brussel looked in at us every day and became our friend, in fact after the next snow Emma made another one called Sprout, if it had carried on I think we would have had a whole family.

As I have been thinking about Fair Isle I thought I would show you this pic of me in the 70's in my Fair Isle style Polo neck. I remember white jumpers playing quite a large part in fashion then. White was always the colour to wear in the winter. I am also wearing my white corduroy, fur lined coat which I bought in Hennes when it first opened in Southend.

Speaking of fashion in the 70's here I am in my original Moon Boots, if you had a pair of these you're feet were as warm as toast. These Ski jackets were available to everyone. It was quite the norm for people to wear Ski Clothing then even if you weren't going skiing, we had whole suits, they were great, all we cared about was keeping warm because as far as I remember we did a lot of walking and deep snow never held us back. I remember pulling a sledge all the way to Rayleigh just to collect the milk from the depot.

My daughter with her tall thin friend. The great thing about snow is that you can make something with it and be as creative as you like and maybe set yourself the challenge of how tall and narrow can it be without falling.

And this one took quite a bit of planning and skill, just like something from a Beano Comic it's just such a unique idea.

Did anyone else fall in love with these CK Stanley Dogs for christmas?

We have quite a few of these hand painted eggs from the Ukraine, the patterns are so intricate. If you love this kind of Folk Pattern or like me just have a love of pattern you should take a look at www.gudrunsjoden.com look at Gudruns World and her diary and her new pattern Gallery the research and history of the designs and culture is quite fascinating.

And now for a new beginning, a new workroom at the ready and some thoughts about the place we will live this year. Driving along the Suffolk roads makes me feel alive. Surrounded by Farmland and Forest the changing of the seasons is comforting and there is nothing quite like the winter months for colour and adventure. I've started to name the roads by their character. If we need some food I'll be heading for the upper or lower mud and flood. The narrow lanes, frozen hedgerows and light reflecting from the frozen brown waves of a ploughed field are all framed by the majestic black silhouettes of the spidery trees against the winter sky. Pheasants dart amongst the frozen plough, like jewels of colour with Autumn leaves for feathers. I slow down whilst they make up their minds, do they just run to look at the car (it is a Smart Car) or do they really want to cross the road. Whilst I sit there waiting for a few moments I realise I am amongst the colours of Tartan and Fair Isle and cosy blankets by the fire.

So for now here we are living amongst the peace and quiet. I have a lot of catching up to do especially reading everyones posts and will be in touch.

MERRY WINTER EVERYONE

A LITTLE PARCEL

2009-10-07T10:30:00.003+01:00

A little parcel full of anticipation travelled across the country and found it's way to my house. Isn't it lovely when you find a message from someone saying, "saw these and thought of you". Two beautiful little Midwinter egg cups arrived carefully wrapped in pretty fabric, also a few little extras hidden inside.

The pattern is so delicate with speckles of colour all over.

I also found in my parcel a tiny bag of lovely red antique buttons and a rose to match.

I like the structure of these buttons and the cotton which has been left on gives a sense of history.

This is part of my swap with Mel Mel who waits patiently for my parcel. I had four little items planned as a swap which last night I finally achieved. I thoroughly enjoyed making them and can't wait to get them in the post.

So TTFN

MARKETS

2009-10-06T10:22:00.009+01:00

Markets - well markets and a few other things besides. I bought the beaded necklace above about 30 years ago (yes that's 30 folks) I found the detail and pattern fascinating, it also reminded me of crochet. This is where the markets come into the story. We holidayed in Dorset many times when visiting my Grandparents and the area around Christchurch became a second home. I always went to the Market at Highcliffe, I couldn't wait to get to the fabric stall to see what was on the 50p a yard stack. One day my brother and I decided to walk from Avon Beach into Christchurch, it was quite a long way, we used to walk everywhere though, it was more fun. It's strange thinking back now, no one reminded us to take a bottle of water, wear a hat or put on sunscreen it was something we did naturally, and I remember my brother wore his leather cowboy hat. We had to look after ourselves, there were no mobile phones in case of emergencies, I think life was generally more relaxed. When we arrived there was an amazing market in the hall, something quite new, an Antique and Collectors Market. That's where I bought the beaded necklace. It was in a terrible state and as soon as we got home I sat at the table and restrung the intricate beading.

All those years ago the beaded necklace inspired the idea of making a crochet necklace in a similar style. Well you may be thinking to yourselves that I've been a while creating something from this idea, but the time seemed right. I tried the design out a couple of years ago but it's only recently that crochet jewellery has really taken off. If you take a look on Chocolate Creative you will see some inspirational and sophisticated crochet jewellery by Kjoo.

The wool above is the one I chose for my necklace. It is by Noro and if you look at the link there is some very interesting info about the product. I chose this wool because it has a very natural quality as if straight from the spinning wheel complete with slight imperfections, I love the heather colours.

Here is one of the necklaces made with the wool, I sold the necklace at the Woodbridge Market on The Hill. I have put on one of my Blackbird buttons. My husband took the photo at Orford and I printed it onto computer fabric.

These are the cuffs I made along the same theme which also sold. It's so nice to see the expression on a customers face when they are inspired by something I have made. You never quite know whether an idea is going to be successful.

The cuff above was bought by a customer with a daughter at University in Bournemouth and she wanted to send her something different. Funnily enough I met a lot of people from Bournemouth that day.

Here is something a bit more elaborate. I thoroughly enjoy making these necklaces and so much intricate detail can be added with fine crochet to look just like the beaded necklace.

Back to the Markets. The Woodbridge Vintage and Contemporary Market was fantastic. There was an amazingly positive vibe and lots of happy faces. I met so many fellow bloggers with some fantastic stalls. It also gave me a chance to show my Adele Design Products and I sold quite a few t-cloths and prints. There is a great film of the market with some very groovy music FILM

The film reminds me of the great town markets of the 70's, never to be missed and a great social gathering. I walked past a really lively market in Ipswich the other day, there was all the usual banter and a huge veg stall. When I lived in Rayleigh we always walked to the Wednesday market, this was another place to find a piled high fabric stall for 50p a yard, a lovely lady who made dolls clothes, a stamp collecting stall and a huge stall which used to sell slightly out of date packets of food (probably not allowed to do that any more) and then there was the vicar with bric-a-brac and old china. They also had the auction going on at the same time and a little Antique shop where I bought a miniature mouse made of felt.

Later on in life I took my children to the Rayleigh Market, we also used to go to the one in Rochford which we could walk to. Those were the days before my eldest daughter started school, when we could plan our own days. We used to sing all the way to the market and have great fun and then go for a picnic.

It's surprising the memories that Markets can bring.

Which brings me to Lovejoy, Markets, wheeling and dealing and adventure. Am I the only one? Are there any more Lovejoy fans out there? Perhaps I should start a bring back Lovejoy Campaign.

BAMBI AND PENCILS

2009-09-14T10:35:00.003+01:00

I couldn't believe my luck when I saw this beautiful little Bambi standing there in front of me. During the Aldeburgh Carnival weekend the Aldeburgh Boot fair was transformed from a dozen cars in a field to a huge event. There was a nostalgic atmosphere with lots of holidaymakers in their open top vintage cars, full of children, the family dog and Dad in a straw hat. The whole scene created a happy vibe throughout. One of the stalls I headed for had two friendly ladies serving, absolutely full of life and enthusiasm. This is where I found Bambi, which I couldn't believe hadn't already been snapped up. Apparently it is quite old and came from an Aunts house, it did have a label but had worn off so I am not sure what make it is. I also bought the blue vase from them, I just love the reflections from glass and this one is a lovely shape. After chatting I found out that these two wonderful ladies were raising funds for a group of adults with special needs that they worked with in Saxmundham. I couldn't help thinking how perfect they were for the job.

It's funny isn't it how sometimes when you go to a car boot everything you find is the same colour or theme. Everything I found seemed to make a nice picture. The Formica tray was black with dirt, I just had to take a chance and plunge it in hot soapy water but it did the trick. I've just been reading about an artist called Zoe Murphy (zoemurphy.com) in October Homes and Antiques. She is a screen printer and prints her own wonderful formica patterns on recycled pieces. Two of my own passions, screen-printing and post-war design, so versatile and inspiring.

Look at those lovely blue eyes and lashes.

More blues and a great pattern.

I love this little French book. Even though it is in very poor condition I was drawn to the unusual illustrations.

I am not sure what the story is all about yet but isn't this tree amazing.

I really appreciate all of the positive comments on my Little Bird post. I'm so pleased that you all liked it. I aim to develop the idea with recycled materials. Have been a bit busy so haven't had time to comment on many posts but have read them all. It would be great if any of you could tell me about the Bambi.

A LITTLE BIRD

2009-08-17T15:32:00.006+01:00

A little bird told me he needed a nest, a nest for his family where they could feel safe and rest. I said, 'leave it to me, i'll see what I can do, i'll try and think of something while I'm drinking my tea'. I thought and I thought, what can I do, it needs to be nice and cosy and functional too. I had an idea that in my fabric nest I had seen some fabric that would do the job best. It's a lovely warm fabric, tartan or tweed? it doesn't really matter it's just what we need.

So I set to work cutting lots of Rag strips. I knotted them all together - that'll do the trick.

I wound it all into a great big ball.

Then endless crochet, round and round until I had used it all. The inside is all Raggy.

The outside like a big plait. I knew it wasn't finished, much more to be done, it needs to be safe, life isn't all fun.

So I found some old cotton that had long been forgotten and put it to use to give the nest a boost.

I crocheted a wire fence to keep out the pests. The rest was simple, I just needed to feather the nest.

A big, bold coconut flower with spiky arms and button fruit. When they are hungry for tea they will know where to look.

A berry print button for a homely feel.

What about some more print birds, some brothers and sisters. I'd better get cracking, I think they're all waiting.

I think I can see them all hiding in the garden.

Thank goodness the little Rag Nest is finished. They have all jumped in to have a good look and are deciding where to put all their books. There was a bit of a problem with the position of the nest. They liked the pumpkin but it's too near the ground.

They decided it wasn't such a good idea on the ground and had a look round to see if a better site could be found. So up in the runner beans it went,a good and safe little spot to rent, but most importantly a great place to play, running up and down the poles and hiding in the runner beans all day.

IT'S HERE AT LAST !

2009-08-07T14:15:00.010+01:00

Do you remember my 'Interview Excitement' Post? Well it's finally arrived, the Roundabout Magazine that is, with the ADELE DESIGN INTERVIEW by Gemma Thompson. I have been given a two page spread in the August issue which is full of local Lifestyle, Culture and Business news. If you would like to take a look at the Adele Design article then click on this link . The article is on pages 4-5 of the magazine. There's a delicious ice cream on the front cover so it must be good.

WELL WELL WELL ........

2009-08-05T10:53:00.010+01:00

......... another Kensington connection, perhaps someone is trying to tell me something. Just a pretty little dish you may be thinking to yourself, but no, this little dish has again led me to the intriguing web I have come to know as the John Barker Dynasty. Having got our act together this week with the Car Boot timings we did the rounds starting with Aldeburgh and then drove up to the very large one at Friday Street. You could liken the whole experience to shopping in a country store and then driving to one of our delightfully large supermarkets - how will we cope? Well we did, and we had a great time and met some very interesting people. Friday Street is where I found the little dish. The lady on the stall said it belonged to her mother-in-law whose father had grown up in Kensington and that Derry and Toms was the place to go. Visions of a Jeeves and Wooster life leapt to mind.

I just had to have it and find out more, not realising the Barker connection at the time. (If you take a look at my post about the Barkers of Kensington trouser press I found at the Campsea Ashe Car Boot you will see the connection) Barkers which was a huge store in Kensington (later with Biba and House of Fraser links) bought Derry and Toms. In the 30's and influenced by the Rockefeller Center gardens, Barkers commissioned Ralph Hancock to create a roof garden. It is now owned by the Virgin Group. There are some great links to the Roof Gardens at Derry and Toms and even the blog of the Head gardener David Lewis.

All this from that little dish, not bad for a pound.

I love this collage style pattern, to me it is very 70's with rich colours and hand drawn squiggles. These I found at Aldeburgh. The plates match and have the Barratts backstamp, all except for one which has the large 'b'.

The large 'b' is my favourite and much more in keeping with the style of the plate. I couldn't find any info about this one until I looked at the 'Made in England' large piece of pottery artwork on this link and there was the big 'b' right there for all to see.

Through the ages, they blend so well.

Through the ages - the Backstamps. My favourite is the 'Hostess' I grew up with these patterns so they are in the soul.

This sleek dish is also part of the 'Snowhite' range. The solid blue lid makes this stand out from the crowd.

A little pile of DURABILITY plates, a perfect match for the cloth I bought years ago. They were obviously waiting for each other.

A coloured Union Jack, all the rage now, definitely ahead of their time.

And finally to Lulworth Cove. Doesn't it just make you want to head for the Tearoom and the cream teas.

Just beautiful! I'm due for a break, where's the suitcase?

AN OFFER FOR YOU

2009-07-30T19:36:00.006+01:00

I really love collecting badges. To me they represent a memory, every badge has a tale to tell. When I was young in the 70's badge collecting was the thing. Everywhere I went I would look out for the badge for sale at the counter, at times it was the only souvenir available. We all used to have a long narrow badge scarf hanging in our bedroom, always handmade in our own style. The scarf would be made and adapted from whatever fabric was available at home, truly recycled. Lovingly displayed and arranged according to size and colour, each badge was treasured, the challenge was to completely fill the scarf.

That's why I made the decision to always include a collectors badge within my Adele Design products. Above is the 'TAKE A SEAT' badge. It is 55mm, bold and colourful. The chair image is very successful with clear detail.

I thought it would be fun to have a proper packet to store the badge therefore turning it into a real collectors item. On the reverse you can see the rest of the slogan 'TAKE A SEAT REST YOUR FEET' A reminder to everyone to have a good rest from time to time.

Lots of badges safely in their packets and yes, it is me that sits and lovingly packs them up.

Here's one for the boys (actually I borrowed the cars from my daughters collection).

Lovely on a jacket.

Or perhaps show your badge off on a trendy hat.

Give one to your favourite toy. In this case a knitted elephant that used to travel everywhere with us. Just a word of warning though, the badges are not suitable for children under 36 months.

Maybe keep it amongst other treasures.

We've been trying to cheer this little chap up for ages. Perhaps he will feel better now he is wearing his new badge.

AN OFFER FOR YOU

As an introduction to Adele Design products I am offering all of my Blog readers the opportunity to buy the 'TAKE A SEAT' badge in it's special packet as a single item (usually only available as part of a set through my website)

The badge complete with it's packet is available as a special offer to you at £3.00 including postage costs.

If you would like to buy a badge please email me (using the 'buy' link below) with your order details including your name and delivery address.

I will send payment details by return email.

BUY

IT'S BEEN A LOVELY DAY

2009-07-25T21:00:00.010+01:00

It's been a lovely day in the garden. We did actually go out really early all set for a Boot Fair that wasn't there, obviously we didn't know at the time, but never mind, the fields looked lovely. We had a salad from the garden over a spot of Jeeves and Wooster with Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry. I love their clothes and the room sets, everything is so sophisticated.

I had big plans to get my trouser press sorted out for some printing. Remember the one I bought for £2 - Barkers of Kensington. Here's my worker sorting out a board for the top.

I tried to find out about Barkers of Kensington. Barkers iconic department store closed in 2005 after 135 years of trading. There is quite an amazing history, part of which involves a House of Fraser takeover in the 50's.

If you want to see more there is a link to the Glasgow University who I contacted for some info, there are some great images of the store and customers. BARKERS

The Barkers of Kensington trouser press all ready to go.

I rolled the paint onto the linocut - one I made earlier. Then put the press together and tightened the bolts. This is the result using Acrylics on wet paper. I am sure I will be able to get a better print than this but you will be amazed what you can do with this in photoshop. Next time I'll try watercolours.

FOLDING THE CLOTH

Folding the cloth was Wednesday. I have had a busy week meeting buyers etc for my new collection. Packaging smartly is vital, so I found myself spending the day folding and labelling. I am very slow and too fussy but got there in the end. It's actually quite rewarding. To see more go to www.adeledesign.com

This is the fantastic set which features in some of my website images. I bought it at the Antique Centre at Needham Market for £5. I love the colour and the 70's Retro style. It's very Conran.

I actually bought it because of the back stamp, I think it's great.

I haven't been able to find any info on the back stamp yet but I do know the Wikipedia for Mazurka is 'stylized Polish folk dance'.

Perhaps someone out there might know something.

And now to my favourite book I found recently at a second hand bookshop in Aldeburgh. I'm sure it was sitting there waiting for me. From 1961 the year before I was born and before we landed on the Moon.

The pic seems to go really well with my swirly 1970's paper weight, a present from my friend at school. I still use it.

There are some great things in this book but to me this is the greatest. The COLEOPTRE, isn't it just fantastic. Wouldn't it be great if we all had one of these on the drive. Apparently the design was unstable. I wonder if James May has one. This is the sort of amazing transport we thought the future would bring in the 60's. What happened?

And finally to my little scruffy book. Its actually beautiful inside with 16 colour plates and published in 1939. It's by John Gould The Bird Man.

This German pot was 50p at the Aldeburgh Boot Fair and the ceramic I made with plants and plaster. The Heron Illustration is really beautiful. I love collecting up bargains for my photography. I'll have to do a bit of research on John Gould.

Thanks to everyone who has been reading and sharing my Blog. I love all the comments. Lucie Attwell seems to have been quite a hit. It's great to know there are people out there reading my posts.

BACK TO 1969

2009-07-17T12:15:00.004+01:00

A combination of looking at some old photos and then seeing that lovely Mabel Lucie Attwell tin on Bobo Buns blog brought back some happy memories. So I went in search of my 1969 Mabel Lucie Attwell Book of Fun No 3.

I keep it on my shelf now so that from time to time I can drift into a past world that was full of fun and endless enthusiasm.

The book was given to me in 1969 when I was 7 years old. A time when the holidays were spent learning and mastering new skills, always colouring, drawing, collaging, making, full of adventure.

Putting my stamp on my book and trying out my fancy 'A'

See this little red car ...................

Well here's me in my Mabel Lucie Attwell style car.

Which brings me to the original maker.

One of the things I love about this book is that all the way through there is a little girl with her knitting. This message, in a very uncomplicated way, seemed to inspire me to always be busy and creative. Here she is above with her red knitting, which will go on forever because she hasn't learnt how to cast off yet. She must have been one of our original makers.

I love crochet because it grows so quickly. My giant green crochet hook is at the ready with my red ball of wall, so I will see what I can come up with.

I remember having a pram like this, I will try and find a photo. My brother used to be at the ready with his spanner to secretly loosen all the nuts and bolts so that when I pushed it the whole thing would to collapse. It was all in the name of investigating how things worked you understand.

I thought I would include some pics of my jug in the photo at the top. I seem to be drawn to these Arthur Wood pots since my Mum gave me this one. The pictures of the pretty shelf full of what we now call vintage finds is quite reminiscent of 1969.

ROSY WEEKEND

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A bit of a Rosy Weekend this one. I think we've worn ourselves out with our new commitment to Car Boot bargains. Actually it's been fun. There has been so much going on this weekend, even the village fair had a Car Boot on the side. We've managed to finally visit the summer fairs where we see the signs each year but always manage to miss the event. There was a great live band at the Ufford Bygones, I haven't seen skiffle playing for ages. Everything we spotted at the car boots had Roses or Crinoline ladies, so went together really well for some photos to share.

I think this beautiful embroidery will end up in a frame. Managed to find another Broadhurst plate. It's very 50's and this technique with combining black and white drawn lines with colour is a favourite of mine.
My daughters bargain pot for £1, a great find to store all her buttons in. It's very Fanny Cradock and we love it.

THE SNEAKY CHARD

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Having so many lovely flowers in the garden this year turned my thoughts to flower shows, so I looked up a few local events. It all seemed a bit too serious for us with lots of rules and regulations. Flowers should be fun shouldn't they?

This is where the sneaky chard came in. I bought this lovely glass vase at the boot fair at the weekend for £1. I went into the garden and gathered up some unusual flowers for a display in my new vase. The Rainbow Chard as well as being extremely tasty looks absolutely beautiful, especially when the sun shines through to reveal all the amazing colours.

So in a very non conformist way I sneaked in a Chard leaf, a pumpkin leaf, some apple mint and a stem of curry plant. This by the way is a bit of a mistake, the lounge is now overpowered with the smell of curry.
A close-up of the beautiful glass.

BROAD BEANS

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This year we managed to complete our Vegetable boxes before the growing season. We now have rows and rows of lovely tasty food. Gathering some veg together for tea really does give you a wonderful sense of peace and anticipation.

It's amazing how quickly Broad Beans grow. The plant is very country cottage and the flowers beautiful and delicate.

Here's Emma busy in the garden as always and pulling up the broad beans. They seem to have come to the end of their season now but there are still plenty left for a few more meals.

The beans are so tasty eaten fresh like this and also have been a good excuse for a relaxing sit down in the garden when they need podding. We have tried them raw with salads this time, an idea which was initially met with suspicion and mutterings of 'are you sure' but now we can't get enough of them. So we look forward to next years crop.

In the mean time the space has already been filled with the ever extending arms of the pumpkins, they look like they are going to take over the garden so will need to keep a close eye on them.

A COLLOGRAPH MOMENT

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I mentioned on my last post that I would share my enthusiasm for Collographs. Well, firstly they are great fun and very easy to make. Above you will see my worktable with the Collograph underneath the roller and some of my DESIGNS AND PRODUCTS I have put together using this simple print.

The great thing is, all you need is a piece of card and some recycled bits and bobs.

For my collograph I have cut out a chair shape and then carefully peeled a layer of card away, this forms a recess which won't take up any ink and when printed will be left white.

For the rest, I have just let my imagination take over to produce a 50's style image. I have cut out and stuck on some bubble wrap, hessian and corrugated paper strips from a chocolate box (and yes they were very tasty). The possibilities are endless and the outcome totally unpredictable. The exciting part is that you never quite know what sort of mark a piece of recycled rubbish will leave.

Once you have put your pic together and depending on the effect you want, ink it up with a roller or brush or even your fingers if you are using paint, just try out lots of different ways.

Then normally it would go through a press, but as I don't have one, this has led to unusual printing methods such as placing between card and letting everyone put their weight on it. See what's best for you and let me know what works.

The picture above has been printed onto plastic.

Zooming in I can show you the raised bubble wrap.

The Collograph is very inky and messy and will eventually

fall apart, but don't worry just make another

one.

TAKE A SEAT COLLECTION

It's amazing what you can achieve with a Collograph.

Surface pattern, texture, quality and colour all work

towards and appealing design.

For the BOOKMARKS I have used a slice of the chair

POSTCARDS and BADGES

Something for everyone, bright and colourful.

The clear textural detail is revealed.

THE T - CLOTH

Here is my daughter posing with the t-cloth. It's fun and

colourful. I decided to do a repeat pattern of the Collograph

and blast in some colour. These are all hand screen printed

and the detail is still very clear.

THE COLLECTORS SET

The design is very contemporary and I just love those

bubble wrap spots.

A POSTER PRINT on lovely silky smooth

Tecco paper and an amazing LARGE CHAIR PRINT on

a wonderfully textured Somerset Archival paper.

The different papers bring out individual qualities left behind

by the collograph.

I hope you have enjoyed this little printmaking excursion. It's all about having the freedom to express our individual design ideas. You may notice some funny looks as you sit staring at individual pieces of scrap rubbish, dreaming about the possibilities of mark making.

Happy printing

THE NEW PRESS

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I just love these patterns. The book and song sheets we

found at the Antique Fair. The brooch and 10p plates are

Car Boot bargains.

The reverse of a vintage plate is always a treat. I think

I'll find out a bit more about Broadhurst.

Driving through the Suffolk countryside I often see the odd Car Boot sign, so I thought this week we could all get up early and go in search of some bargains. The view across the flat fields at Campsea Ashe was absolutely beautiful as we drove into the field. There were only seven cars but we stayed optimistic and am I glad we did.

Leaning on the side of one of the tables was a lovely old trouser press for £2 which I couldn't pass by. I'll show you some other pictures first and then reveal my enthusiasm for the press.

When I was young I used to spend hours viewing auction rooms with my family. I always thought my Mum was really brave bidding for things. Mum bought me a small antique tie press for pressing my flowers which I have always treasured. I have put some pics below.

This is the underneath of my tie press. There is something

really happy about this image, I didn't realise until I loaded

it onto the computer. It reminds me of that song, always look

on the bright side of life.

THE TROUSER PRESS

(well that's what the man at the car boot said it was)

A piece of our heritage and social history.

I feel it is an appealing object in it's own right.

This is my new trouser press (from Kensington no less) but not for pressing trousers. The seller looked intrigued when I revealed that I was going to use it to press flowers.

Later I realised it had a greater and more important use for me. This is the point where my enthusiasm took over as I started to plan. I love making Collographs but don't have a press. If I put a piece of card in my press I can make some prints. I can hear proper printmakers around the country groaning in their seats, but I am going to experiment.

So my next Blog will be about Collographs. I will show you some pictures of the one I made of a chair at the Colchester Institute while studying fashion and textiles. If you would like to see the outcome of the Collograph have a look on my website at my 'TAKE A SEAT' collection. The collection is bright, colourful, optimistic and fun which is how you feel when a print is revealed from the press.

Woodbridge Vintage Market

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Some lovely Vintage finds and a Bobo Bun brooch for our collection

Some real Heritage here and my favourite brooch from Stabo

My daughter found this beautiful jug at the fair

I thought I ought to include these images today as this is how it all began. A few weeks ago there was a hugely successful Vintage and Contemporary Market on the Hill in Woodbridge. This is where I met Bobo Bun who introduced me to Blogs. The Blogs are so bright and colourful. So thanks Bobo Bun for all your help. I am sure I will get to grips with the workings of this one day.

INTERVIEW EXCITEMENT

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My little corner of inspiration

My worktable - working on my 'TAKE A SEAT' collection

A very exciting week for two reasons, after months of hard work developing ideas for my new collection someone wants to interview me for a magazine and as a result this is my first post for my new blog.

Gemma's visit. Gemma is the new editor of the Roundabout Magazine and wants to interview me about my new collection, website and inspirations. There are so many ideas to share and so much work to show, where will I begin?

Gemma arrived and I found myself at ease, chatting to someone with just as much enthusiasm for life and creativity as I have. In fact I think we probably overloaded her with information as the rest of my family showed off their creative and gardening skills.

It was a lovely inspiring morning and has helped me focus on the future. So roll on the next issue of Roundabout.

26.6.09